Health News

How to Prevent Back to School Illnesses

Children are back in school and when you put all those bodies in close quarters day after day, germs and viruses quickly spread. Centra Care physicians want to remind parents that prevention is ALWAYS the best medicine.

Illnesses can be kept at bay with some very basic rules – that means reminding children to wash their hands often and avoid touching their faces. Germs act fastest when they enter through the mouth, and since we ingest through use of our hands it’s important to keep them clean. Teach children to properly wash their hands for 20 seconds and to use soap or an alcohol based sanitizer if necessary. Hygiene maintenance also means that children can protect themselves from contamination by:

Letting water run before drinking from the water fountain

Covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze

Eating in a clean area

Many viruses are seasonal and abundantly present during back to school season, so proper care in terms of prevention like vaccinations are highly important. Children in particular should be immunized against various diseases. And finally, never underestimate the importance of a fully balanced diet and the wonders it can do for a child’s immune system.